The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Chrysanthemum plant, botanically known as Chrysanthemumxc3x97morifolium and hereinafter referred to by the name xe2x80x98Yoandreaxe2x80x99.
The new cultivar is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Salinas, Calif. and Fort Myers, Fla. The objective of the breeding program is to create new garden-type Chrysanthemum cultivars having inflorescences with desirable inflorescence forms, attractive floret colors and good garden performance.
The new Chrysanthemum originated from a cross made by the Inventor in November, 1993, in Salinas, Calif., of the Chrysanthemum cultivar Peachy Lynn, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 8,892, as the female, or seed, parent with an unnamed Chrysanthemum proprietary seedling selection, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Chrysanthemum was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross grown in a controlled environment in Fort Myers, Fla. in November, 1996. The selection of this plant was based on its desirable inflorescence form, attractive ray floret color and good garden performance.
Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by terminal cuttings taken in a controlled environment in Fort Myers, Fla. since January, 1997, has shown that the unique features of this new Chrysanthemum are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.
The cultivar Yoandrea has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature, daylength and light intensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.
The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of xe2x80x98Yoandreaxe2x80x99. These characteristics in combination distinguish xe2x80x98Yoandreaxe2x80x99 as a new and distinct cultivar:
1. Upright plant habit.
2. Freely branching, dense, full plants.
3. Uniform and freely flowering.
4. Decorative-type inflorescences.
5. Dark reddish bronze-colored ray florets.
Plants of the new Chrysanthemum can be compared to plants of the female parent, the cultivar Peachy Lynn. In side-by-side comparisons conducted by the Inventor in Salinas, Calif., plants of the new Chrysanthemum differ from plants of the cultivar Peachy Lynn in the following characteristics:
1. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum are much larger than plants of the cultivar Peachy Lynn.
2. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum flower about two weeks later than plants of the cultivar Peachy Lynn.
3. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum are stronger and are less susceptible to breakage when compressed than plants of the cultivar Peachy Lynn.
4. Ray florets of plants of the new Chrysanthemum and the cultivar Peachy Lynn differ in color.
Compared to plants of the male parent, plants of the new Chrysanthemum differ in ray floret color.
Plants of the new Chrysanthemum can be compared to plants of the cultivar Glowing Lynn, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 10,038. In side-by-side comparisons conducted by the Inventor in Salinas, Calif., plants of the new Chrysanthemum differ from plants of the cultivar Glowing Lynn in the following characteristics:
1. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum are larger than plants of the cultivar Glowing Lynn.
2. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum flower about two weeks later than plants of the cultivar Glowing Lynn.
3. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum are stronger and are less susceptible to breakage when compressed than plants of the cultivar Glowing Lynn.
4. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum have larger inflorescences than plants of the cultivar Glowing Lynn.
5. Ray florets of plants of the new Chrysanthemum and the cultivar Glowing Lynn differ in color.